Google and Microsoft drop a string of lawsuits, finally end patent battle

Microsoft and Google finally made an agreement to put an end to their feud over several patents. The two have decided to join forces together to work on products and services that will benefit the consumers. Mainly those things related to video-compression technology, speed downloads, and intellectual property.

As part of the agreement, 20 lawsuits filed in Germany and the United States between the two companies will be dropped after years of being in the battlefield. Not that we’re surprised about this development but we didn’t expect it would be this soon. We noticed that Microsoft has been warming up to the idea of being linked with Google especially since the Microsoft Garage project was launched.

Neither Google nor Microsoft is disclosing financial terms of the agreement but the two are said to be taking legal actions to protect their technologies and innovations the last five years. For one, Microsoft once tried to block Motorola phones (previously owned by Google) from using some features while Motorola Mobility was demanding Xbox royalties. We don’t know who had a change of heart first or what made them change their decisions but the two will now start working together in Europe on a unified patent system.

In a joint statement, the two tech giants said:

“Google and Microsoft have agreed to collaborate on certain patent matters and anticipate working together in other areas in the future to benefit our customers.”

This sounds major. Two giants joining forces together will definitely bring a lot of benefits to consumers. It may also mean a big change in the technological horizon.

Google and Microsoft have been through a lot so this development is quite exciting, at least, to those who believe in love, not war. That’s something hard to expect between big tech companies who always want to remain on top of the game. Back in 2010, you may remember that Microsoft claimed that that Android OS was using its technology without any royalties. Another one was filed against Motorola, which was then newly acquired by Google. On the other hand, Motorola was asking for about $4 billion in royalties for the Xbox because of some patents used. And then there’s also the issue of Motorola using Microsoft’s ActiveSync, a mobile data synchronization app, as a special feature on Moto phones.

The list is actually longer but discussing them now would be futile because the two have agreed to become allies when talking about patents. Of course, this agreement is limited. We can still expect these companies to compete in a number of tech games. There’s still Bing aiming to capture a percentage of Google’s market share while Google is working on a SurfacePro rival for the business arena. At least in Europe, the companies will be more civil and understanding of each other as compared in the US where patent lawsuits are prevalent.

Should we make expect other tech companies to do the same? Samsung and Apple? Naaaah…